For some years now, short sea shipping (SSS) has benefited from a number of government initiatives aimed at promoting its development. The aim has been to promote a more balanced modal split in transport in Europe while also reducing the impact of transport on the environment, ensuring greater European cohesion and promoting a sustainable transport system. Up to now, SSS has aroused interest at policy level mainly as an alternative to road transport, the predominant mode in Europe. Yet, is SSS only an alternative to road transport? Can it be seen as a separate component of an integrated transport network in its own right? This book shows what role SSS can play in the context of modal complementarity and what challenges European policy makers will be presented with.